How Does a Moment Last Forever
by greentoothpaste
Summary: This story takes place about halfway through the 2017 film and beyond. It goes further into depth on the beast and belle's relationship, and how their love formed together. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

June 15th 1793

When Belle had awoken from her sleep, she pulled the large duvet aside just enough to slip out of bed and into some slippers. Looking around the room, still amazed at the architecture and attention to detail within the furniture, she admired the curvature of the pillars and arches as she slowly walked over to the window. She gazed outside at the large courtyard, covered in a blanket of milk white snow that sparkled, as if knowing something she did not. Remembering her father, she felt a frown tug at her lips and she sighed. Only days before, she had been with him in her small and simple village longing for an adventurous and special life. She remembered how as soon as she came to the castle, she longed to escape and devised a very dangerous plan to slip out the window. She made an effort to smile at the idea that, even as clever as she was, climbing down from that far up would be impossible. She pursed her lips and turned away from the window, trying to shake off her nagging sadness. She nearly squeaked when the wardrobe, Madame De Garderobe, burst open her doors singing an operatic tune. "Whoa! What time is it? Have I missed something?" Belle smiled in relief and shook her head. "No, you haven't. I have just woken up is all" The wardrobe sank backwards, her handles rising up to conceal an apparent yawn, "My goodness mademoiselle, it feels like I haven't slept in years. Oh! I must dress you, now um… did you not speak of going down to the courtyard? Here, I have just the thing!" She excitedly pulled out a scarlet colored coat with accents of fur, handing it to belle with ease. Belle grasped the coat in her fingers, making a mental note that it was so much softer than anything she owned. "Thank you" Belle said politely; "I will return soon" she continued. "Don't hurry back cher!" Madame called after her, her French accent thick with each word. Belle gave a small smile and opened the large door with the coat in her arm.

Belle stood outside the beast's bedroom, unsure of whether or not to knock. He had saved her from a very hungry pack of wolves a few days earlier, sustaining rather deep wounds. She decided on a whim to carefully and quietly open the heavy door, a low creak startling her as she took a step further. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for any signs of life, and breathed a quiet sigh in relief as she saw she hadn't woken him up. She took small steps towards his bed, the large figure under the sheet becoming more visible. She was facing his back, the scars of his wounds beginning to form. She was glad he had healed so well. She recalled their little argument from that night, and how he bravely threw himself in front of the wolves to protect her. She leaned forward a bit, her eyes feeling tired as she watched his shoulder rise and fall with each breath. She was pulled out of her trance when she felt the spine of a book poking at her leg; she reached into her pocket and pulled out her copy of Romeo and Juliet, smiling at her favorite piece of literature. "What are you reading?" a deep, gruff voice said; belle jumped at the sound of his voice, almost rolling her eyes and to look at the ceiling "why am I not surprised?" he asked rhetorically. "Excuse me?" belle spoke, ready to defend Shakespeare's writing. She waited impatiently for an answer, but he cut her off before she could speak. "It's just, all the heartbreak and tragedy. Ugh…" He made a disgusted face, sticking out his tongue. "There are far better things to read" he stated confidently. "Like what?" belle said, raising an eyebrow.

Beast burst open the doors to the library, casually strolling inside "Well, there are a couple of things in here you could start with" he muttered. Belle followed him, curious about his statement. The light from the windows nearly blinded Belle, and in an effort to shield herself she squinted her eyes; before she could her eyes widened. Before her was a huge, extravagant room filled with rows and columns of books stacked over a hundred feet high. Gold accents filled the room, the warm tone of the marble bounced off of the colorful books; there had to be thousands belle thought to herself. The beast turned around, noticing she was no longer following him. "It's amazing" she breathed, spinning around to get a view of the entire room. The light made everything look so crisp, and the books made the atmosphere smell so antique and ancient. She could hardly breathe. Everything she had ever wanted in a library and more was alive in front of her, and it was evident on her face that she was astonished into silence. "I suppose it is" the beast said, tearing Belle form her trance. Looking around and allowing a half smile to creep onto his face, he realized he may have taken the vast space he had for granted. Belle's eyes sparkled, and he noticed her allow herself to grin at the sight before her. "Have you really read all of these books?" belle asked in shock; he looked at her, glancing around the room and began to smirk "Well, not all of them. Some of them are in Greek."

She stared at him in disbelief. As he turned his back to her, she scoffed, the playful tone in his voice not going unnoticed to her. "Are you joking...? Are you telling jokes now?" she smiled, waiting for an answer. He turned around and saw she was grinning. He suddenly felt uneasy, but not particularly in a bad way. It had been so long since he had such a lighthearted conversation. He shrugged his shoulders slightly and tried looking at everything but her and smirked. "Maybe" he said quietly, desperately trying to suppress any sign of a smile. He then turned away and walked into another room for belle to enjoy the books to herself. Belle watched him walk away, barely containing her excitement until he shut the door behind him. She squealed in joy as she spun around, not knowing where to begin. The beast intentionally walked slowly as he shut the door, immediately hearing her exclaim in excitement. He very quietly chuckled to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

It was nearing lunch time, and as enraptured as Belle was, she was beginning to grow hungry. Just as she was standing up from her long held position, Lumiére appeared in the crack of the door to announce his presence. "Mademoiselle, your meal has been prepared. I hope you do not mind being seated with the master" he said shyly. She smiled and shook her head. "Of course not, lead the way" she said, grabbing a few books and shoving them into her pocket. Lumiére grinned, his feet making small clinking noises as they tapped the marble as he led the way to the dining hall.

The beast had already been seated, an entree in front of him, already digging into his food. Belle kept from watching him out of modesty, and found her way to the other end of the very long table. Her food was steaming from warmth, enough on her plate to give a piece to everyone in her village. The food invited her senses to imagine the taste, and she sat down to explore what the servants had been raving about. The seat was cushioned in the finest material, the utensils and china were sparkling and arranged perfectly. Just as she was bringing a spoon of soup to her mouth, she heard the loud sound of slurping from across the table. When she looked up, the beast was covered in red while the soup drizzled off of his hairs on his face. Upon realizing she was staring at him, he grew embarrassed and slowly put the bowl back down on his plate. The servants' practically face-palmed, showing disappointment in their masters eating habits. Belle cleared her throat quietly, but smiled at him after returning to one of her books.

After their meal, belle slipped on her coat she got from Madame De Garderobe to head out to the courtyard. Her and the beast decided to go together to see the newly fallen snow, and Belle would be lying if she said she wasn't excited to go outside for the first time in a week. As they stepped outside, belle expected the sun the greet them, but the sky was overcast giving everything a gentle, almost inanimate appearance. They walked down the carved steps and stepped into the snow, softly crackling beneath their feet. The beast looked at Belle and reluctantly spoke: "here, this way," he gestured towards a cobblestone path. The cold began to nip at Belle's nose, and she wondered if he felt the cold the way she did. She was pulled from her thoughts when he asked her what the bulky object was hanging from her pocket, although he knew perfectly well what it was. "Oh, it's my book. Romeo an-"he stopped her, raising his eyebrows as if to say "are you kidding me?" She smiled, almost hearing his thoughts. "It's a classic, and I am going to read it to you." He rolled his eyes, almost going as far to say she was bluffing. As they began walking again, he was surprised to hear her voice change tone into a higher pitch. "Great" he thought, but that thought quickly faded into intrigue as she continued on to read. Their bodies slightly shifted closer as she kept reading, and as soon as Belle was going to recite her favorite line, she nearly ran into the beast while walking across a small bridge. She looked up at his face, seeing something she never had. His expression was full of longing as he stared out at the scene; the pond was frozen over, and the forest bled white snow downwards into the shrubbery. Snowflakes fell slowly in their own dizzy, spinning patterns and Belle felt the same trance fall over her. She no longer felt the cold. "It's like seeing it for the first time" the beast admitted quietly, wonder and softness covering his features. Belle gave him a half-smile, the cold pushing her to suggest they visit her horse, Phillipe. He had been allowed to stay will belle at the castle, given his own stable. The beast walked with belle cautiously to the timid creature, and he walked up to him thinking he wouldn't flinch from his beastly form. He was painfully reminded he was no longer physically human, but Belle pulled him from his saddened thoughts instantly; he almost gasped at her touch. She gently pulled him close to the horse, softly placing his paw onto its side. Amazed that the horse hadn't ran away, he looked over at belle, only a foot away and still placing her hand on the back of his. In this moment, he felt a rush surge through his body at the warm touch of her hand. They gazed at each other, both trying to tear their eyes from each other. Belle gave him a small smile and began to walk up the steps to the castle, watching and encouraging him to keep petting the horse. As soon as Belle was out of his gaze, she felt her cheeks burn against the cold of the snow. She gently pulled her hood over her head, and began singing to herself as she walked up the stairs, still glancing down at him. "There's something sweet, and almost kind… But he was mean and he was course and unrefined, and now he's dear and so I'm sure I wonder why I didn't see it there before." Just then, she got a devious idea; she stooped down, gathering a ball of snow in her hands and packed it together tightly. She ducked down slightly, grinning to herself. She pulled back her arm and threw the snowball straight at him, hitting his shoulder. He frantically whirled his head around, his ears drawn to a new sound; Belle's laughter. She was laughing so much that she didn't notice him pulling together a large snowball for revenge. She opened her eyes just in time to see a melon-sized snowball hurling her direction, and before she could move, she gasped when the strong force of freezing water smashed her face, knocking her entire body onto the ground. The beast was bent over laughing knowing he got his revenge; he hadn't laughed in years, and never like this. Not since his mother had passed away.

They went inside the castle library to begin sorting books, and the beast noticed Belle had been behaving slightly differently since their encounter. He was more shocked than anything that she would be so daring, while he had struggled to even ask her to eat a meal with him. "She glanced this way, I thought I saw, and when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw. No, it can't be, I'll just ignore…But then she's never looked at me that way before" the beast sang to himself. The beast decided to try and coerce the horse to befriend him, so he left Belle in the library and told her he would return soon. Belle watched as he left the room, trying her best to keep herself together. She shook her head, and for unknown reasons she couldn't stop herself from grinning so much. She stood up and gracefully walked over to the window, finding the beast in the courtyard with Phillipe. She clutched the hem of her dress while smiling down at the two, and felt herself overcome with emotion. "New and a bit alarming, who'd have ever thought that this could be? True, that he's no Prince Charming, but there's something in him that I simply didn't see" she sang to herself, the melody filling the library in a beautiful tone to match the falling snow.


	3. Chapter 3

Going back into the castle, the beast invited Belle to eat dinner with him. She politely accepted. That evening, the beast told himself he was going to try to be braver; during dinner, he hesitantly stood up, giving her a reassuring smile as he walked over with his bowl to eat with her. They talked of many books and read to each other.

The pair returned to the library soon after, and as the two were sorting, the servants Lumiére, Cogsworth, Plumette and Mrs. Potts all watched in anticipation. They were beaming as they all saw what was beginning to form between the two. "Well, who'd have thought?" said Lumiére. "Well, bless my soul" sang Mrs. Potts. "Well, who'd have known?" continued Lumiére. "Well, who indeed?" Cogsworth chimed in. They all began to sing together, newfound hope in their hearts for the future: "And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own? It's so peculiar, we'll wait and see a few days more. There may be something there that wasn't there before, and here's a thought-perhaps there is something there that wasn't there before" they all sang. "What is it momma?" chip chimed in, Mrs. Potts smiled. "There may be something there that wasn't there before."

That night, the beast walked her to her bedroom, lost in his words about how the castle looked far better years ago. Belle kept her gaze downwards, listening intently to his words. "Ah, here we are. I hope it is comfortable enough, it is one of the best I have" the beast said, gesturing towards her room. "Oh, no it's perfect, really. Thank you" belle said softly. The beast shifted a bit as a nervous habit, and bid her goodnight before giving her small smile and disappearing behind a corridor. She carefully slipped into her large room, exhausted from the day and fell into bed, finding her thoughts harder and harder to keep up with.

June 16th 1793

Belle had awakened from her sleep, yesterday playing in her mind like a record. She felt calm, but she did not ignore an odd nagging feeling in her chest. She decided it was best she ignored her fears and quickly ran over to a chair in which she had placed her scarlet red coat. She practically ran out of her room, shutting her door a little too loudly and immediately hearing Madame's operatic tune from inside the room, her muffled voice sounding surprised. Belle laughed as she ran down the corridor, eager to be outside. As soon as she opened the very heavy glass door to the courtyard, the cold greeted her exposed skin. The hairs on her neck began to stand and a shiver ran down her spine; she let a gasp slip past her rosy lips, the air forming a small cloud before her and disappearing as soon as it came. She smiled at the sky, still noting it hadn't changed weather since she'd been there. She began walking through the gardens, peering up at the trees, watching them sparkle and gleam as she slowly passed them. She walked for about five minutes before she heard the faint sound of a voice, and immediately recognized it as his. She followed the voice through a twirling path almost covered in ice, and quietly tip-toed her way around the snow until she saw his large figure hunched over on a bench, reading a book. She smiled and spoke confidently "what are you reading?" she asked. The beast nearly jumped from the bench, surprised to see her, and quickly hid the book in his cloak. "Nothing" he said with slight fear in his voice, the embarrassment radiating from his demeanor. Belle slowly walked over to him, already knowing, and decided to tease him a bit for it. "The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great?" she questioned, a smile plastered onto her face. He groaned, pulling the book from his cloak; "Yes, there are swords, fighting and there are the Knights of the Round Table" he spoke, trying to recover. She sat next to him, her smile growing smaller as she thought, and then growing again. "Yes, but it is a romance." "Fine" he gave in, letting her revel in her small internal victory.

They sat there in silence, enjoying the white winter before them when Belle spoke, her tone full of gratitude. "I never did thank you for saving my life" she quietly confessed, watching his expression. He looked at her and let a half-smile creep into his features. "And I never thanked you for not letting me be eaten by wolves" he said, a humorous tone escaping in his words. She grinned and they both chuckled, but adverted their attention to the servants that found their way outside. They were singing in the distance, laughing and enjoying themselves. "They know how to have a good time" Belle said, sighing contently at them from a distance. The beast shifted, listening in on the noise momentarily before staring back ahead. "Yes, but every time I walk into a room, laughter dies" he spoke, the sadness in his voice making Belle respond quickly. "Me too" she said, "the village is almost as lonely as your castle. The village calls me a funny girl, but I don't think they mean it in a good way" she allowed herself to give a small smile. "I'm sorry. Your village sounds _awful._ " the beast said, looking at her with empathy. He pursed his lips, forming an idea. "What do you say we run away?"

The beast let Belle follow him into the library, his stature towering over hers as he led her to a table. He gently grabbed a book from the shelf and set it on the table, wiping away the thin layer of dust. "I'm not sure why the enchantress left this, it almost seems like another part of the curse really. The world has no place for a beast like me, but it does for you" he spoke, sliding the book closer to her. "It's amazing" she said in awe; the book was bound in gold. The pages were not just pages, as they held an enchanted world inside of them. The beast came closer to Belle, watching her amazement with the book grow. A random act of bravery surfacing as she looked at him, without giving it much thought, he carefully took her hand and placed it onto the opened page of the book. "Think of the one place you've always wanted to see. Find it in your mind's eye, and feel it in your heart" he said softly. She looked at him with confused eyes, but touched by his sudden heartfelt words. Suddenly, the room shifted. Colors bled into each other, and Belle became dizzy, closing her eyes. When she opened them, she was shocked. The room was no longer the library, but rather the home her father and mother had raised her in. She was in Paris. "Where did you take us?" asked the beast in confusion. He walked around, taking in his surroundings. "It's so much smaller than I thought it'd be" Belle admitted sadly, beginning to walk around the room. The beast observed the room, then finding Belle's pained expression. He remembered she spoke of her father, but her mother never came into conversation between them. "What happened to your mother?" He asked softly. Belle formed a small saddened smile in remembering her father; "That was the one story he could never bring himself to tell" Belle admitted, looking at the beast, becoming shy on the subject. He acknowledged her uneasiness, walking over to the other side of the small room to identify an odd looking object; it was black and in and shape that looked like the beak of a bird. He picked it up, his eyes searching for an answer to verify his gruesome guess. Upon seeing the mesh cut outs for the eyes, he felt his body grow heavy. "Plague" he whispered sadly. Belle's breath hitched in her throat, she now understood why her father kept it hidden from her. She felt her face grow hot as she peered around the rest of the room, trying desperately to keep herself together; tears began to well up in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away in spite of the pain she was feeling. She shrank down to her knees, picking up a baby rattle in the shape of a rose. She brought it close to her chest, trying to understand and piece together the absence of her mother, and closed her eyes. "Let's go home" she stated, her sadness ringing in her voice, but that statement curated a mixture of feelings for the beast. She called his castle, the place in which she once found gloomy and despairing, her home.


	4. Chapter 4

After returning to the castle, Belle had walked with the beast to an open and inviting room in the castle, infiltrated with the natural light of outside. He couldn't help but look at her; she was distracted by the argument currently ensuing between two of the feather dusters, and she was stifling a giggle as to not offend either of them. They argued about not getting the room properly cleaned in time for when the pair had gotten back from their brief trip, and Belle tried to interject and say it was alright, but the two continued to bicker as they flitted away. After they were gone from sight, Belle and the beast sat on a few cushions placed by a large window, and began talking of their childhoods and how they came from two very different worlds. Before they had time for another conversation, Lumiére appeared to announce that there would be a slight delay in dinner. Belle reassured him it was alright, and that they had enough time. The beast looked over at her as she spoke, almost shocked at himself for daring to become angry with the setback. He turned away, still surprised at her kind nature and her patience. "The way you speak, it is far from what I am used to. It is…" he paused. "Refreshing" he continued, turning to offer a small smile. Belle felt a smile tug at her lips, her eyes lighting up; "I've been raised to always give chances. My father always taught me to be patient with others, and try to see the best in people" she spoke. "Although… there are some people that, amidst the many chances, don't quite change" she said, becoming disgusted as a certain black-haired brute came to mine. The beast grew quiet, taking her sentence to heart, believing she was speaking of him. He looked away, wishing he could change the subject but couldn't bring himself to say anything. Belle quickly realized his tension, moving closer to him. "His name is Gaston," she said with a hint of revulsion. He turned and looked at her, surprised at hearing this new name and how it related to her topic. "He is an awful, selfish and narcissistic person. Sadly, no matter how hard I try, I can't bring myself to see any good in him, if it's even there" she said, wincing at the thought. The beast eagerly listened, realizing she hadn't been talking about him. He gave her a sympathetic smile, and leaned closer, gently bringing his paw to her hand in a compassionate manner. She didn't flinch like he expected her too, but instead she looked at him, and seemed… happy. She grinned up at him, feeling her face grow warmer as she felt the mass of warmth press lightly against the top of her hand. She felt her heart rate accelerating, and she didn't know if she should remove her hand or say something, but little did she know. He was frozen, unable to move. His skin underneath his fur was hot, the fur making the air around him stifling. Upon recognizing her tinted cheeks, he spoke without thinking: "You never looked like this, forgive me for staring. You just look…beautiful." If belle's face wasn't hot before, you could easily see from far that she was flustered. Before she could speak, he squeezed her hand before standing up and offering his. She looked up at him, unable to speak but nonetheless took his offer and stood up, only a foot away from him. The atmosphere was dead quiet, their breathing quickened and their hearts trying to escape their chests. "Belle, do you…I mean would you like to join me after dinner to dance perhaps?" She looked down, slowly nodding with a smile.

Belle was pacing in her room once again, her hand was resting against her cheek as she walked impatiently. She bit her lip, stress ridden in her smooth features. He had asked her to dance with him, and she didn't know how to react. For once in her life, she had no response to a man. She didn't know what to say, her body refusing to listen to her thoughts, only acting out of her nervousness. She smiled, a random surge of excitement filling her body, this new feeling filling every inch of her body. She sat down on the bed, grasping at the sheets; how was she going to do this? She was going to dance, but she didn't know exactly what he meant. Just as Belle sighed, Madame unfolded her doors, looking in Belle's direction. "Cherie, don't worry yourself sick. I have just the thing for you to wear, you'll be dazzling like the stars" she said, a smile seeming to appear in her curtains. Belle stood, walking over to her, anxiety radiating off of her. "What if I mess up, or make a fool of myself?" She asked nervously. She had to pull herself together, this was very unlike herself to be so stirred up over something so little. Madame sighed contently, watching belle fidget; "I know the master had to muster up much courage to ask that of you. He isn't as stoic as you may believe, he is just happy to have you here" she said softly. "Now, the master prefers the color blue in his attire, so naturally…" she rummaged through her drawers. "Aha! Perfecto, this is it!" Madame exclaimed, pulling out a beautiful yellow gown; adorned in rows of fabric, the dress gleamed brightly against the room, sending shivers down Belle's spine. She has never seen something so brilliant, so radiant in one space. "It's lovely, surely I can't wear this" Belle said breathlessly. "Oh cher you must! Here come come, let me help you put it on! Oh I'm so terribly excited, this is wonderful."

Just as Belle had finished putting it on, she stared down at the dress in awe. She had never worn something so extravagant and amazing, she felt like a princess; "Oh my goodness, you look so beautiful. It just needs something… Ah! The finishing touch" Madame said in recognition. Just as Belle was beginning to think of abandoning the idea, she heard a little melody and looked up at the ceiling. There, on the gold crusted decorative branches, the flecks of gold began to flutter downwards from their position, swiftly as if in the breeze they began to twirl around Belle's dress. They each stuck onto certain places in the dress, creating a beautiful golden pattern within the dresses fabric. Belle's mouth became parted, trying to find words to describe how gorgeous it was. "It's…more than I could ever imagine."


	5. Chapter 5

"I saw her in the middle of the room, and I said you never looked so beautiful we should have a dance tonight" the beast said hurriedly, his words crashing into one another. "I didn't actually think she'd say yes!" he said loudly, fear spread across his face as his servants bathed him. "What was I thinking!" he said in despair; "No, master it's perfect. There are only four petals left, so tonight, you can tell her how you feel!"Lumiére said happily. "I _feel_ like a fool, who could love me?" the beast retorted. "Do not be discouraged, she is the one" Lumiére countered. "Stop saying that. There is no _one_ " the beast said, becoming impatient. "You care for her don't you? Well then, woo her with beautiful music and romantic candlelight" Lumiére said, his tone hopeful. Plumette chimed in: "Yes, and when the moments just right…" she giggled. "Well how will I know?" "You will feel slightly nauseous" Cogsworth spoke. "Don't worry master, you'll do fine" Mrs. Potts said confidently; "Just don't be so nervous and tell Belle how you feel – because if you don't, you'll be drinking cold tea for the rest of your days."

After hearing a knock at the door, Belle thought it was the beast and nervously asked "who is it?" Cogsworth appeared in the doorway, and gasped at her dress. He bowed, complimenting her appearance and stood, beckoning her to follow him. Belle was then escorted by Cogsworth towards the ballroom, but seemed to disappear when she grew near the stairway to enter. Belle's breath became hitched in her throat as she turned the corner, seeing the biggest most beautiful room she had ever seen; it was adorned with the most spectacular sculptures and columns to form the railings. The room was lit by hundreds of candles, many hanging from chandeliers that were adorned with the most beautiful crystals. The light bounced off of the floor, creating a twinkling and elegant atmosphere. She nearly forgot how to breathe, and then was brought back to reality when she drove her gaze and was stunned to see the beast on the exact opposite pair of stairs, looking at her from across the room. She had never seen him in this way before; he was wearing a royal blue justaucorps, accompanied by a cravat and similar material in the cuffs of the sleeves. She was entranced.

He could not believe what he was seeing before him. He had stepped out into the ballroom, waiting on the stairway for her to appear, when he noticed just how much work his servants put into making this night the best he had ever had; the room looked incredible. His eyes were immediately drawn to the bright yellow fabric moving out of the corner of his eye, and when he saw her, his heart stopped. The room paled in comparison to her. Everything stopped when he saw her admiring the home he had taken for granted for so long. He felt his heart flutter when she finally met his gaze, and he knew it was time to make a good impression; it was time to give her a moment she would never forget. He apprehensively made his way down the first few steps, watching her descend as he did. They met on the landing, facing themselves towards the ballroom, both feeling incredibly anxious. Beast let out his arm for her to take, and as she coiled her arm around his, soft music began to play; the beast led her with as much poise as he could muster, finding only reassurance in Belle's expression. He smiled down at her, watching her gracefully curtsey. She looked up at him, her nerves singing throughout her body; he tucked one arm underneath his chest and another behind his back, bowing down respectively. His smile was interrupted, fading as she took both of his hands in hers, shifting her body weight to the left of him, and then right, and it immediately occurred to him she was beginning the dance. He began doing the same footwork, matching her steps as they began the waltz; they walked in a forward motion, melodically stopping to the music that grew louder. Harps, clarinets, strings all accompanied by the sweet voice of Mrs. Potts. Her voice carried notes along with the strings, pulling the pair closer while dancing. The atmosphere became dim and romantic, the candles flickering and dancing as they passed. Drawn to each other's aura, they quickened their steps with the beautiful melody and mapped out the steps in their head to the dance as they did. They found it oddly natural, coming so easy to the both of them. They stayed quiet, never letting their focus diminish; the beast gently elongated Belle's arm, spinning her multiple times, watching her carefully as to not accidentally harm her. She was so fragile, so petite compared to his large stature, and he vowed to never hurt her there as he spun her once more before performing more steps, the music coming to an crescendo, slowly reaching fortissimo as he easily scooped her up in his arm, clinging her to his side as they twirled a few times; their faces were only inches from one another, neither dare breathed as they twirled once more before she gracefully placed her next to him again, resuming the dance on a decrescendo. They pulled from each other and came back to one another; belle's arms being pulled naturally around his neck, and he slowly dipped her weightless body, the dress cascading with gravity, its layers folding elegantly like pouring rich batter into a pan. Gently pulling her back up, they spun once more as the music began to diminish, the dance coming to a sweet gradual end. Their arms traveled down one another until they were left holding hands, both stunned by their performance. The songs was now only a quiet hum, beautiful melodies still ringing through the castle walls. The beast looked at her with such admiration, his heart swelling with pride. He thought to himself "I actually did that," and couldn't help but give her an earnest, real smile. His eyes sparkled while watching hers. She looked up at him, finding his eyes to be so brilliant; they were brighter than she had ever seen, bright blue cast against his dark features paired with royal blue attire seemed so perfect. She noticed his smile, and how it was different from any other time she had seen it. It was the description of pure joy. Incredibly contagious at that, so she found herself returning the smile, the same joy filling her heart.

They slowly walked outside onto the balcony, now catching up with their breath and letting the cold numb their very warm complexions. Looking up at the stars, his heart raced as he tried to find the right words to say. "I haven't danced like that in years. I had almost forgotten the feeling" he admitted with a breathy chuckle, his eyes glancing over at her. When she did not speak, but continued looking out at the world beyond the balcony, he inhaled and took a deep breath. This was it, he thought to himself. He swallowed, silently clearing his throat, his hands beginning to quiver under the mental stress. His brain was in a whirl from dancing, scenarios playing over and over in his head as to how this could go; his breath became shaky, and the cold sent a shiver down his spine. How could someone do this to him? He was struck with the sudden revelation that this is what he had been told, not just by the servants but by the enchantress herself. He **truly loved** Belle.

He had to tell her, the anticipation growing on his conscious. "It's foolish, I suppose – for a creature like me to hope that one day, I might earn your affection" he said, barely able to form the sentence. At this, Belle's eyes widened at the sudden confession. Was it a confession? Did he mean what he said? She turned her head and met his gaze; it was completely full of hope, fear and relief all at once. She couldn't help herself but smile at this, "I don't know" she said, lowering an octave on her second word, plastering a questioning and playful meaning to it, testing the syllables with her tongue. The beast's features were overcome with aspiration, yearning for more words. "Really?" he said excitedly, "You think you could be happy here?" he let the words run from his mouth, too eager to leave. She wanted more than anything to say yes, but her father came across her thoughts. She missed him so much, he had always been so selfless for her. Her gaze shifted downwards in disappointment, then back to his. "Can anyone be truly happy if they aren't free?" she asked, internally grimacing as she saw his features quickly turn sad. He straightened, looking back out at the world. Belle breathed, their gaze landing on the same tree; "My father taught me how to dance" she continued. "I would always step on his toes a lot" she softly spoke, curating a small smile in remembering those fond memories. "You must miss him," the beast said out of sympathy. Belle looked up at him, honestly showing in her eyes. "Very much" she admitted, sadness overcoming her words as she spoke.

"Would you like to see him?"

((feel free to listen to Beauty and the Beast by Emma Thompson as they dance, gives it a nice feel))


	6. Chapter 6

Beast guided her to the west wing, her heart full of hope and curiosity. She thought of how it could be possible, for surely he hadn't come back to the castle.

"What do you mean?" Belle huffed, becoming out of breath as she followed him, taking wide steps to catch up.

"I mean to show you your father. The enchantress – she gave me a mirror along with the other things" he spoke, nearing his room in the west wing, his breaths becoming slightly labored as he pushed the door into the room. He watched as the rose encased in frosty glass seemed to shimmer, remaining untouched. He brought Belle closer to the small table, picking up a small handheld mirror, leaning it towards her.

"This mirror will show you anything you want to see."

Belle looked at is suspiciously, but trusted him nonetheless. "I'd like to see my father, please" she said cautiously. Just before she spoke the last word, the mirror began to shimmer brightly and swirled, revealing her father's face. He was struggling against some village men, who were inevitably trying to whisk him away as he yelled at them to release him. "Papa!" Belle nearly shouted, clearly stricken with distress and remorse; she clutched tightly onto the mirror, watching the scene slowly fade from view and resuming into cold, ancient glass. She looked at the beast frantically, tears sneaking their way into the corners of her eyes and threatening to spill onto her rosy cheeks.

"They have my father, what if he's hurt?" Belle asked, her tone becoming pleading and frantic. She felt a lump in her throat, painful to try and suppress. The beast looked down, his features growing with conflict; he fought with himself, desperately trying to find the right thing to say and do in this situation. It pained him immensely to see her this way, and he knew she had to go save her father. He breathed heavily, looking at her with saddened eyes. "Then… you must go to him. No time to waste" he heard himself say, his heart tearing apart. "You are free to go" he included, watching the disbelief in her face contort into shock.

"But-"

"I release you."

Belle was stunned, searching his face for any sign of falsehood, but found none. She became speechless, looking back down at the mirror and back at him, taking a step closer and urging the mirror in his direction.

"No, you keep it – so you can always have a way to look back, and remember me" he said with sorrow, but giving a smile regardless. She held the mirror close to her chest, taking a few steps backward as she looked at him, feeling hesitant about leaving him. "Thank you" she said softly before turning and beginning to run into the castle, making her way outside. He watched her fade away into another set of doors, before the reality of the situation sank in; his chest pushing violently outwards in unison with his labored exhale. He wanted to scream, his only reason for happiness running away from him and all he has ever known. He walked away from the balcony, solemnly walking towards the west wing to watch the rose wilt away, sealing his and his servants' fates to fade with the castle, forgotten and forever alone.

Cogsworth strode into the room, peering around and noticing the beast, walking up to him proudly with a smirk to match. "Well master, as they say, true love prevails!" he said with an apparent smile, Lumiére, Mrs. Potts and Plumette walking in close behind. The beast looked in their direction, a deeply remorseful expression spread flatly across his features. "I let her go."

"You _what?!_ " exclaimed the group in panic, startled by his words.

"Master, why would you do that?" said Lumiére, searching desperately for an answer in his eyes.

"Because – he loves her" Mrs. Potts said, knowing all too well that it was only a matter of time before he set her free. "Then why didn't the spell break?" asked a frantic Lumiere. "Because _she_ doesn't love him." Cogsworth said, upset and irritated at his response. Plumette tried clinging on to a bit of hope; "Maybe she will come back," she said.

"No, I set her free. I'm sorry I couldn't do the same for you all. Now go, our time is almost gone" the beast said full of sorrow. As they began walking away, all comforting one another as they surrendered to the idea that in a few hours' time, they would remain inanimate forever. As they left the room, he stared back at the rose, it taunting him with the many scattered petals already encased within the glass. "I was the one who had it all. I was the master of my fate, I never needed anybody in my life. I learned the truth too late. I'll never shake away the pain – I close my eyes but she's still there; I let her steal into my melancholy heart, it's more than I can bare" he sang, walking towards the open window in the room and stepping out onto a balcony, spotting a yellow dress moving quickly in the distance. "Now I know she'll never leave me, even as she runs away – she will still torment me, calm me, hurt me, move me – come what may" he sang, walking up a spiral staircase whilst turning his head to watch her direction. "Wasting in my lonely tower, waiting by an open door" he sang loudly, his vibrato ringing throughout the stone of the castle. "I'll fool myself shell walk right in – and be with me for evermore" his voice dropping an octave on the last word as he stared out the tower window before moving once again. "I rage against the trials of love, I curse the fading of the light. Though she's already flown so far beyond my reach, she's never out of sight" he sang with strength, reaching a crescendo near the end of the phrase. "Now I know she'll never leave me, even as she fades from view. She will still inspire me, be a part of everything I do" he spilled his heart out into his song, lamenting the loss of his love. "Wasting in my lonely tower, waiting by an open door – I'll fool myself she'll walk right in, and as the long, long nights begin," he crooned, walking to the very top of the castle on the highest perch; "I'll think of all that might've been, waiting here for evermore!" he loudly chanted, letting his voice be heard throughout the entire perimeter of his land, his words reaching out to touch the sky.


	7. Chapter 7

Belle raced through the forest with Phillipe, trying as hard as he could to be gentle with Belle on his back all while running as fast as his hooves would carry him; he was not going to be stuck surrounded by wolves again. Belle breathed heavily, panting as they reached the village; noticing some shouting in the town square, she ran into a tunnel before being halted, as she was in the way of a carriage. The horses carrying the carriage neighed, rising up in shock at the sudden blur of movement in front of them. "Stop!" Belle cried, hurling herself off Phillipe and racing towards the steel carriage. Hearing her father's voice, she turned to the back of the carriage, immediately hearing his pleas. "Papa!" she reached for the doors, pushing her hands through the steel bars only to meet his frigid, shaky ones. "Belle! I thought I'd never see you again" he said, a wave of relief washing over his body. "We have to get you out of there," Belle said, turning to search the crowd of people behind them; they carried torches and were led by none other than the village brute himself – Gaston. "Gaston, you have to help" belle said breathlessly, trying to find whatever faith she could within him.

"Oh Belle, you know I've always been loyal to your family… but your father – he has been making some outrageous claims" Gaston said, the lie seeping through his teeth before continuing.

"He says you were in a castle with a beast, Belle"

"Well I've just come back from the castle!"

"You'd say anything to set him free, why should we take your word for it. There's no proof!"

"You want proof? Fine." Belle said angrily clutching onto the mirror; "Show me the beast!" she cried, watching it morph in front of her eyes to reveal him, appearing to be in despair. Belle's breath got caught in her throat, feeling like a part of her heart was left back at the castle. Gaston stared in disbelief before walking over to belle and snatching the mirror from her hands; "Sorcery…" he said, devising a devious idea. "The beast – look at him!" he yelled, shoving the mirror into the faces of the crowd, gasps erupting from everyone that could view the sight. "Please, no! Don't be alarmed, he wouldn't hurt anybody" belle pleaded with the village. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you actually cared for him!" Gaston shouted angrily, making sure the village agreed with him before turning back to her. "I've heard of the effects of dark magic, but I've never seen it with my own eyes" he continued, insinuating a roar of agreement from the crowd. "He's dangerous, a monster!" he yelled, the crowd growing louder. "He's no monster Gaston, you are!" belle screamed at him. "I say we kill the beast!" Gaston bellowed, raising his torch, the crowd going wild in agreement. "Lock her up to. When can't have them going off to warn the beast." Belle was thrown into the carriage with her father, locked up and laughed at. She winced at the pain, rising up and feeling pain shoot up into her back; "I have to warn him" she said frantically. "Belle, how did you escape?" her father asked in surprise. "I didn't escape, he let me go Papa" she smiled, grasping his hand. "But, how?" he said in pure disbelief before noticing the rattle belle held in her hand. "Wh – Where did you get that?" he said, instantly recognizing it. "He took me there Papa. I know what happened to my mom" she said, offering a smile.

"Then, you know why I left her" he said hoping she understood. "I had to protect you Belle, I wouldn't be able to forgive mys-"Belle cut him off, shaking her head and embracing him. "I know."

"We have to get out of here" she said worriedly. Maurice looked at her, concern glued to his face. "Belle, it's dangerous" he said. "Yes, yes it is" she agreed, knowing her father would understand. "I need something long, pointy – a" just before he could continue, belle held her hairpin in front of him. "Perfect" he said, smiling. "It's just a few simple gears…" he continued, fishing around in the lock until he felt a click before dropping the lock onto the ground and quietly opening the door. Belle sighed in relief before stepping out of the carriage and onto the dirt, looking frantically for Phillipe. Her father stood propped up next to the metal container, holding the lock in his hand. Just as a guard walked over to inspect the open carriage, he spotted Maurice, calmly fidgeting with the lock. "Oh, hello. I believe this belongs to you" he said with a smile, handing the lock to the man. Just then, Belle whirled by on Phillipe's back, looking back at her father with worry and gratefulness. She through off her yellow dress, it landing on the floor, flooding over itself. She fixed her outfit that was hidden underneath as Phillipe rode on, riding as fast as he could towards the castle. Maurice looked at the man, who was staring at him in astonishment. "She's so headstrong" Maurice said with a smile; "do you have any children?" Maurice said in a humorous manner. The village was a ways ahead of Belle, chanting to Gaston's voice as it rang out through the forest. "There's a beast running wild there's no question, but I feel the wrong monster's released" said Le Fou. Approaching the castle, the village had begun running through the large steel gates and shouting with their torches high in the air. The servants in the castle heard the commotion, and Lumiére, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts and Plumette all raced towards the window, hoping to see Belle. "I told you" Plumette said, but her words faded as they saw the mob flocking towards the entrance. "Sacré bleu!" shouted Lumiére, hopping off of the windowsill and running for the stairs. They all rushed to the first floor, the shouting becoming louder and more pronounced; they dove for the door, and Cadenza desperately shoved everyone aside to hold the door. There was a loud bang as the heavy doors rattled, and everyone ran to stop the door from bursting open. "We need help" cried Cogsworth as he hurried up the steps.

The beast sad idly, watching the mass of people appear on his grounds. He sighed, feeling unimaginable pain in his heart. All he wanted was for Belle to come back to him, but he knew she never would. He felt as if there was no more purpose; he was to remain a beast for all time and lose any sense of humanity that Belle brought back to him. "Master! The castle, it's under attack!" Cogsworth said, trying to catch his breath as he walked up the last few steps. The beast slowly turned his head, appearing to be somewhere in his own world, a glazed look in his eyes. "It doesn't matter now. Let them come." On the main floor, the objects stirred about, trying to find anything they can to help. "Wait, I have an idea!" said Lumiére excitedly.


	8. Quick Update

Hey guys! I promise I'll update either today or tomorrow. It's hard when people write negative reviews but I'm hoping that you guys will understand my brief absence. I do this because I enjoy writing and bringing it to you all, and I'm happy to see where it's going. Hope you're all having a great day

\- greenie


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